The Evolution of a Photographer and his Toys

From a professional standpoint, the gear I use aren’t toys but sometimes industry outsiders(my girlfriend) refer to them as such. Yes, I am one of those that would love to have the latest and greatest camera gear if my wallet would allow me. I also know that the skill to use a camera, processing software and everything in between is just as important. For the moment I am going to focus on the technology side of how I became a photographer and how it will impact my future in the industry.

The moment I became hooked on photography was in 2003. Before I get to that I will back up even farther. I have always liked taking photos but it has been to document the moment more than anything else. When I was around 7 years old our family took a trip to Yellowstone National Park. For the trip, my parents allowed me to use an old camera of theirs that took black and white 35mm photos. I had so much fun being behind the lens and clicking the shutter button. At one point on the trip we saw a bull moose in the Madison River and I almost used up all my film trying to capture the moment. Needless to say I came home with a lot of shots of the moose and not much else.

Growing up I always had some type of camera. For a while it was the 110 format film camera. Then I convinced my parents to get me a Disk film camera. They seemed so cool at the time. Eventually I got an Olympus point and shoot 35mm camera. Most of the time I just used my camera to capture memories from trips, family, and friends. My interest with photography didn’t go much further than that. I think because once the picture was taken I then had to wait for the roll of film to be used up. Then it would take a while to get it developed. First, my parents would usually wait until we had several rolls of film to get developed. That could take several weeks or more. Then when we sent it away it could take up to 2 weeks before we got it back. There was nothing like seeing Christmas memories in the summer.

So, back to buying my first digital camera. I was in our local camera store looking at point and shoot digital cameras. In my research I had narrowed it down to a Canon and Nikon. Digital photography wasn’t fully accepted at this point. Many pros who shot with film weren’t too excited about the digital revolution that was about to happen. For me, I wanted digital because I was able to easily download images right from my camera to my computer and see my results instantly. I loved that. So, after talking to the salesman about the different types of digital cameras, he showed me a couple of DSLRs. I wanted a camera that was easy to learn at first but I could grow with. It didn’t take much to sell me and I ended up walking out with my first DSLR. It was the Canon Rebel. The camera that really helped start the DSLR revolution.

I actually waited a day to open up my new camera, which is so unlike me. I was patient and read through the manual to figure out how to use my new digital camera. I finally felt confident enough that I was ready to test it out. So I put the camera in a backpack and road my bike down a trail that I often ride to capture a few images. My first stop was a wildflower. I snapped a few shots of it and some more broad landscape shots.
My FirstThe first image that I took with my new Canon Rebel DSLR and helped me get hooked on photograph.
As soon as I got home I hooked my camera up to my computer and downloaded them. It was instant! I was blown away and now hooked! I couldn’t wait to go back out and take more images. Soon I was taking pictures of everything. I found nature and landscape to be the most alluring to me. I joined online photo communities and shared my images. This is where I was first humbled especially after taking my first big trip to Southern Utah. I didn’t quite fully understand why some of my images were OK and others were nowhere close to capturing the beauty that I saw.
Bryce SunriseOne of my image from my first photography trip that I was actually happy with. After comparing it to other images from the trip that didn't turn out I realized I needed to learn a lot more about photography.
So, as I realized that I have so much more to learn, I did everything I could to educate my passion. I bought books about composition and lighting, learned my camera inside and out, studied images of great photographers , and worked hard on sharpening my post processing software skills. I really couldn’t get enough of everything photography. Then there came a point when I wanted to upgrade. It was really after my second DSLR purchase that I was pulled into the digital photography vortex and felt I needed all the latest gear I could get. But, I couldn’t really afford it so I resorted to dreaming instead. Through time I did add more lenses and upgrade cameras several more times. As I try to keep up with all the advancements in photography it becomes overwhelming, in a good way. But now, as I look to add to my collection of “toys”, I mean tools, there are more choices to consider. Full frame, how many pixels do I need, should I go mirrorless? How much of these improvements are really important? Will they really help me?

Through my development, I have followed several photographers that I consider to be some of the best in the business. One thing I have noticed is that there are a few that seem to always be on top of the industry while others have faded. New advances in photography gear seem to come out every day from improvement on a lens to new processing software to the latest camera. For me, I can’t afford to always upgrade to the latest or buy the top of the line gear. But I have learned from these expert photographers like George Lepp, what type of advancements will help me and how I can apply that to what I already know.

An example of new technology that I have been keeping an eye on is from a company called Light. Their outside of the box thinking on a new camera technology called the Light L16 has really got the industry talking and photographers like me excited about its possibilities. You really have to check out this video to understand what I mean.

As I carefully evaluate what type of camera will best fit my needs, I can’t help but think what the next advancement in this amazing field will be and how will help with what I want to achieve with my photography. There is always a learning curve that may be steep at times but I am willing to make that climb in the name of photography.

As always, thanks for reading and please feel free to comment and take a little extra time to look through my galleries.